Pregnancy Complications

What are Pregnancy Complications?

Any complications during pregnancy can be frightening. It is important to remember most pregnancy complications happen randomly, meaning they are not necessarily predictable or preventable. These complications are not your fault, but they may require additional care or treatment for you, your baby, or both. Problems during pregnancy can lead to a premature or complicated delivery. It’s important to work with a team that understands the possible complexity behind any complication.

Risk Factors For Pregnancy Complications

If you have a chronic health problem, you may be at higher risk for pregnancy complications. High-risk, pre-existing conditions include:

Heart disease
Thyroid disease
Epilepsy
High blood pressure
Diabetes
Gynecological cysts or tumors

There are also a variety of risk factors that can happen during pregnancy that could lead to a premature or complicated delivery:

Amniotic fluid imbalance
Bleeding late in pregnancy
Cervical issues
Gynecologic cysts or tumors
History of miscarriages
Maternal age younger than 17 or over 35
Multiple pregnancies (twins, triplets, additional multiples)
Placental abnormalities
Preeclampsia
Prior C-section
Severe morning sickness

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UR Medicine's Treatments for Pregnancy Complications

UR Medicine Maternal-Fetal Medicine takes a patient-centered approach to all pregnancies, including those with complications. Our goal is to prepare and inform you through every step of your journey. We have a method for managing every complication, common or rare, delivered through a care plan personalized to your needs.

What is Maternal-Fetal Medicine?

Maternal-fetal medicine is a subspecialty of obstetrics that focuses on the diagnosis, treatment, and on-going care of pregnant people who have a high risk of problems during pregnancy. This includes patients with a history of previous complicated pregnancies, chronic health conditions, or medical issues that arise unexpectedly.

A maternal fetal medicine specialist, also called a perinatologist, is specialized in high-risk pregnancy care, and has advanced expertise in ultrasound evaluation of the developing baby.

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Tests and procedures we offer include:

Fetal ultrasound
Fetal echocardiogram
Fetal MRI
Amniocentesis
Chorionic villus sampling (CVS)
Fetal blood sampling and transfusion
Fetal bladder drainage
Fetal cyst drainage
Fetal shunt placement
Microarray analysis
Early fetal cardiovascular imaging (EFCI)

The three types of care that MFM typically provides include:

Consultation: Discussion of a specific issue or condition and developing a plan. This may include ultrasound if the consultation is about a pregnancy or fetal condition.
Co-management: Ongoing management of a specific condition with other health care professionals. Typically the goal is to allow delivery with that provider and health care team.
Transfer of care: Full transfer of care to the MFM team for both pregnancy care and delivery.

What Sets Us Apart?

Our multidisciplinary, high-risk obstetrics team has the clinical training and expertise to diagnose and treat the many factors that can lead to a premature or complicated delivery. Our experience in complex pregnancies makes us a leader in maternal and fetal health.

We specialize in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of maternal medical issues and concerns with fetal health and development. This expertise enables our physicians to focus on improved outcomes for both pregnant person and child. Our collaborative model ensures that you’re seen by the top experts and technicians in the fields of maternal-fetal medicine, genetics, ultrasound, and lactation.

Our physicians work with other specialists to provide complete care. Related fields include cardiology, genetics, internal medicine, endocrinology, rheumatology, pulmonary medicine, and psychiatry.